1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
CICW has awarded Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants for over 20 years to teacher-scholars and worshiping communities in 45+ states and provinces and across 40+ denominations and traditions—including Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, non-denominational, and other Protestant communities.
While worship styles and practices vary greatly across these traditions, the grant projects typically explore at least one of CICW’s ten core convictions related to worship. Explore the hundreds of projects we’ve funded across both streams of the program.
To engage in learning and conversations related to worship with ecumenical partners that will explore various traditions, perspectives and practices to deepen worship in the congregations and to encourage worship life that bears fruit in service to the community.
To create opportunities for renewed Anglican-Orthodox dialogue that will deepen understanding of worship grammar and rhetoric and implement and integrate elements of Orthodox piety into worship and devotional life within the bounds of Anglican heritage.
To gather the knowledge and resources of churches of many denominations who worship on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation by hosting monthly ecumenical worship services and discussions that will promote corporate worship and deepen ecumenical partnerships.
To engage the congregation in an inclusive, intergenerational, hospitable process of learning about the Church Year and how the Psalms and Vertical Habits can provide a vocabulary for worship that will deepen understanding and participation in worship.
To create liturgies and other worship resources that will assist multicultural communities to bridge the gap between English and Spanish speaking worshipers and to offer workshops that will guide congregations in the use of the resources.
To immerse the congregation in the Psalms of Ascent with the help of linguists, musicians, visual artists and pastors that will help the congregation form faith, identity and tradition in modern life.
To study Scripture and inspire collaborative composition of new music, poetry, art and devotional materials that will center attention on the promise and presence of the Holy Spirit’s work in and among his people.
To train worship leaders in opening worship to the leadership gifts of persons with disabilities through a conference and a year long process of learning with several congregations.
To plan liturgies that lead congregants to bring peace, love, joy, justice and hope in the world through a collaboration between leaders and the congregation.
To incorporate new methods to plan, lead and reflect upon meaningful worship and to adapt worship planning to the gifts and challenges of local churches by working with seminary students and recent graduates across the United States.
To form a worship development team that will formulate guiding statements about worship, create a worship library, host a liturgy training event for area churches focusing on creative adaptation and use of traditional liturgy, and offer a church-wide retreat on the meaning of worship.
To provide liturgical formation for those involved in parish liturgical ministry with a concerted effort to identify and mentor young adults who will participate as liturgical leaders in the church.
